Even a Chelsea team with the likes of John Obi Mikel in the starting line-up could not prevent defeat against a full strength Ajax team. With Terry and Lampard sat in the Chelsea Hospitality Tickets, it was a new Chelsea side that took to the pitch.

A young Chelsea side were soundly beaten by Martin Jol's Ajax 3-1 in the Amsterdam Arena, thanks largely to two howlers from defender Jeffrey Bruma and goalkeeper Ross Turnbull.

Bruma's early own goal put the home side ahead before Daniel Sturridge levelled the scores. However, just two minutes later a Turnbull error allowed Siem De Jong to put Ajax back ahead.

Chelsea dominated possession but Ajax always carried the greater goal threat and a late third from the talented Korean substitute Suk, gave them a deserved victory.

The Blues visited the Amsterdam Arena with John Obi Mikel and Michael Essien the only first-team regulars in their starting line-up.

John Obi Mikel has fully recovered from his injury and expects to be fit for the new season. The 23-year-old then suffered another blow as his injury problems forced him to return home from the World Cup before the tournament had even begun.

But Mikel has been in rehabilitation since then and insists the problems, which required minor surgery, are firmly behind him.

"It was really frustrating to miss out but at the same time I was obviously happy that we won the Double," John Obi Mikel told Chelsea's official website.

"Since I came home from South Africa I've been here, working hard on my knee and making sure I am ready for the start of the season.

"I'm fully involved now with pre-season training and have started the double sessions.

"It is going really well, the training is good and the weather has been fantastic, and we are all working hard. I look forward to the rest of the squad joining us and I hope it can be another good season."

Fit-again Chelsea midfielder John Mikel Obi has joined the rest of his Nigeria team-mates on Friday.

Obi recently underwent knee surgery, raising doubts over his participation in this summer's World Cup finals.

The 23-year-old, who missed Chelsea's last four Premier League games and the FA Cup final win over Portsmouth, picked up the injury in April.

"He has completed his rehabilitation at Chelsea," a Nigerian Football Federation spokesman said.

Play your part in the Fans World Cup! All you need to do is Like your chosen team, and help them win their group by having the most fans!

Click here to pick your team!

Chelsea midfielder John Obi Mikel is expected to miss the remainder of the season after injuring his knee against Tottenham on the weekend.

The Nigeria international suffered a torn meniscus and looks set to be out for up to three weeks although in good news for the national team, he will not require surgery.

"It's a little tear in the knee meniscus," Mikel told Online Sports Bet magazine.

"I won't play this weekend, and the doctors say it will take about three weeks to heal, although there will be no surgery."

John Obi Mikel is backing Chelsea teammate Yury Zhirkov to fill the void left by Ashley Cole's injury.

Zhirkov appears the prime candidate to replace Cole at left-back.

"Ashley is going to big a loss for us because he is a very important player for this team," Nigeria midfielder Mikel told chelseafc.com.

"But we have Yury, who can play in that position as well, and this is football, these things happen.

"We feel really bad that something like that happens to him at this time in the season, we don't want it to happen to him at any time of the season, but with such important games coming up it's going to be a big blow."

Nigeria midfielder John Mikel Obi has suffered a setback to his recovery from an ankle injury and is now expected to be out for at least another week.

The Chelsea midfielder twisted his ankle at the end of September, forcing him to miss games for his club and Nigeria's 2010 World Cup qualifier against Mozambique. He was due to return this weekend, but suffered the setback when he injured the same foot in training on Friday morning.

"I was supposed to be back this weekend, but I twisted my my ankle again in training on Friday, so maybe another week or two," Mikel told KickOffNigeria.com.

The midfielder was subsequently left out of Chelsea's game against Blackburn on Saturday, but says he is fighting to be fit to return next weekend.

Ancelotti said yesterday: "It's not difficult because we have a good scouting network and before the game I will have a lot of information about their team. In Italy I have seen Hull and Sunderland play on the television. It's not new to me. We will go there in the right mentality to play."

The Chelsea midfield has become as congested as traffic on the Kings Road since the Italian arrived. His favoured midfield "diamond" formation has yet to prove its worth, though it has to be said that had he managed to prise Andrea Pirlo away from Milan it could have been a very different story.

Ancelotti is clearly unconvinced by the ability of John Obi Mikel to fill the role at the base of the diamond satisfactorily. He has withdrawn the Nigerian international during both games, at the weekend saying he needed "greater quality".

On both occasions Mikel was replaced by the German captain Michael Ballack, who so far has been the odd man out as Ancelotti decides which of his star names to leave out. Ballack, however, did not slip into Mikel's defensive role, as Michael Essien was asked to fill his shoes.

As yet Ancelotti has not found the right combination of players to make the system work, although once Joe Cole returns to fitness early next month that may improve. The point of the diamond could just be the position Cole has been crying out to play all his career.

But when Cole and the new £18m signing Yuri Zhirkov are fit, Ancelotti will find it hard to play all his stars, and that's when the problems could well start. Ballack has so far been the man to miss out, but the German is unlikely to remain happy with his role as an impact substitute for long. He has made it clear he wants to play in the club's big games, which presumably means he is happy to sit out today's visit to Sunderland.

Chelsea manager, Carlo Ancelotti, wants to build the English club’s midfield around John Obi Mikel just as he hopes that this season could be the campaign where the Nigerian steps forward and shows his qualities as a creative midfielder.

Mikel joined Chelsea three years ago from Norway’s Lyn Oslo as an attacking midfielder. He had since found himself trying to fill the immense void left by legendary French midfielder, Claude Makelele, who held sway in the holding role for four years, between 2004 and 2008.

Although the Nigeria international has been effective in that role for the London based club, it is obvious that he is still a long way from fulfilling his true potential. And former AC Milan coach, Ancelotti, also feels Mikel is only showing glimpses of the great technical and creative ability that lies within him and now wants to turn the 22-year-old, who has just signed a new five-year contract, into the finished article.

The Italian, in an interview with the London Evening Standard, said: “I have a lot of trust in Mikel, I think he can be the playmaker of this team. He is a young player, but has great quality, both technical and tactical.

“For the present and for the future he is a very important player for us. We are very happy he has signed a new contract and I hope that he stays at Chelsea for a lot of years. I would like that he puts in his great quality for the team.”

Ancelotti experienced what it was like to be overshadowed in a team full of high-profile players as was the case during his playing days at AC Milan where he got little credit for his efforts no thanks to the presence of the likes of Marco van Basten, Frank Rijkaard and Ruud Gullit.

It’s a similar scenario for Mikel in a Chelsea side where the likes of Didier Drogba, Frank Lampard and Michael Essien hog the headlines. But the Nigerian, following Ancelotti’s praises, is keen to change all that in the upcoming campaign.

Mikel told the London Evening Standard: “He was a great player himself and it is a great honour that he sees something in me.

“He says I am a player with great qualities, but thinks I can be even better. It is going to take a bit of time, but I am going to work very close with him to make it happen.

“He likes the fact I am strong and can play with the ball, but says that I still need to add more things to my game - if I do that then he thinks I’m going to be fantastic. Hopefully things are going to go well and he will bring out the best in me.

“I have worked with him for two weeks and we are trying to get to know the formation he wants to play.

“Before the season starts we are all going to be mentally focused and we’re going to get the system right. The team wants to win titles and this is why he is here.”

Jon Obi Mikel has praised Carlo Ancelotti, following his first interactions with his new boss.

Mikel made 42 appearances for Chelsea last season, his highest total since joining the club, and he will be hoping that the trend continues under Ancelotti. The Italian has been with the Chelsea squad for over a week now, and Mikel is suitably impressed, telling the club's official website, "He is a big man, I think his record speaks for itself, he has done everything and won everything in Italy."

"Now it is time for him to face a new challenge and that's why he came to Chelsea, hopefully he can do the same thing. He is a really nice guy and everyone is happy with him and we all have a good relationship with him.

"We hope we can win trophies."